Why The Nuclear Energy World Is Thinking Small

In the world of nuclear power, one technology is generating debate: factory-produced reactors that are no bigger than a house.

These “small modular reactors” are designed to produce power on the scale of a single factory or business campus. That’s a big departure from a traditional nuclear plant — the kind that’s powerful enough to run an entire metropolis and big enough to be seen from miles away.

“Think of it as bite-sized power,” said Mike McGough, chief commercial officer for NuScale Power, an Oregon-based company that’s developing the first-of-its-kind small modular reactors. “Small modular reactors will play a critical role in the energy future of the country.”